Sarasota raises property tax rate

Published: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 11:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 11:58 p.m.

SARASOTA - As expected, property owners in Sarasota will be paying a little more in taxes next year.

Next year's city budget, passed Tuesday night by the City Commission with a 3-2 vote, will raise property tax bills in the city by 6.8 percent. The city commission also voted to spend $500,000 on homelessness issues in the coming year, using federal and city funds to match an equal county effort.

When the new tax package takes effect in October,it will bring the tax rate to 3.1728 mills, or $3.1728 per $1,000 of taxable value. Factoring in the decrease in debt service, that means someone with a property with a taxable value of $200,000 will end up paying $630.82 in city taxes in 2014. That would be $45.84 more than last year.

One Sarasota resident came to the meeting Tuesday to say how unhappy he was with the tax hike. Joel Schleicher told commissioners that the reduction of garbage collection to once a week was “unconscionable,” and that with stormwater drainage problems ongoing and crime problems unattended to, the city didn't deserve to be rewarded with more revenue.

“With poor service, taxes should not go up,” Schleicher said. And with few others appearing at public meetings, he said, residents were like “lambs going to the slaughter.”

Mayor Shannon Snyder and Commissioner Paul Caragiulo each voted against the budget, with the mayor calling it “extravagant.” But when pressed by other commissioners to say specifically what they would cut from it, both declined.

The increase in tax bills comes from an 8.5 percent increase in property taxes, mitigated by about a five percent decrease in the city's debt service tax.

That marks the third year in a row that the property tax has been increased, after the city had gone four years without an increase starting in 2007. The city lost a quarter of its revenue in the economic downturn of recent years, and has shed about 200 employees, said City Manager Tom Barwin.

The $1.4 million raised by the tax increase is meant to go toward a budget shortfall and financial obligations to retired city employees.

To cover the city's budget of more than $192 million next year, the city is also dipping into “rainy day” funds and other departments to find about another $2 million and cutting 11 city jobs by attrition.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - As expected, property owners in Sarasota will be paying a little more in taxes next year.</p><p>Next year's city budget, passed Tuesday night by the City Commission with a 3-2 vote, will raise property tax bills in the city by 6.8 percent. The city commission also voted to spend $500,000 on homelessness issues in the coming year, using federal and city funds to match an equal county effort.</p><p>When the new tax package takes effect in October,it will bring the tax rate to 3.1728 mills, or $3.1728 per $1,000 of taxable value. Factoring in the decrease in debt service, that means someone with a property with a taxable value of $200,000 will end up paying $630.82 in city taxes in 2014. That would be $45.84 more than last year. </p><p>One Sarasota resident came to the meeting Tuesday to say how unhappy he was with the tax hike. Joel Schleicher told commissioners that the reduction of garbage collection to once a week was “unconscionable,” and that with stormwater drainage problems ongoing and crime problems unattended to, the city didn't deserve to be rewarded with more revenue. </p><p>“With poor service, taxes should not go up,” Schleicher said. And with few others appearing at public meetings, he said, residents were like “lambs going to the slaughter.”</p><p>Mayor Shannon Snyder and Commissioner Paul Caragiulo each voted against the budget, with the mayor calling it “extravagant.” But when pressed by other commissioners to say specifically what they would cut from it, both declined.</p><p>The increase in tax bills comes from an 8.5 percent increase in property taxes, mitigated by about a five percent decrease in the city's debt service tax.</p><p>That marks the third year in a row that the property tax has been increased, after the city had gone four years without an increase starting in 2007. The city lost a quarter of its revenue in the economic downturn of recent years, and has shed about 200 employees, said City Manager Tom Barwin.</p><p>The $1.4 million raised by the tax increase is meant to go toward a budget shortfall and financial obligations to retired city employees.</p><p>To cover the city's budget of more than $192 million next year, the city is also dipping into “rainy day” funds and other departments to find about another $2 million and cutting 11 city jobs by attrition.</p>